 | Verses of a life time |  |
75
A NEW-ENGLAND BALLAD.
[_]
[An incident, as early in the settlement of New-England as 1630, has been faithfully followed in the subjoined verses, which are written with the hope of drawing the attention of juvenile readers to that interesting era in our national history.]
A boat was bound from Shawmut
Bay
To Plymouth's stormy shore,
And on her rough and fragile hull
Five daring men she bore.
To Plymouth's stormy shore,
And on her rough and fragile hull
Five daring men she bore.
With them would Mary Guerard go
In cold December's time,
Though delicate and gently bred,
For such a rugged clime.
In cold December's time,
Though delicate and gently bred,
For such a rugged clime.
“Dear father, do not part from me,”
Entreatingly she cried,
“But when you seek the troubled sea,
Retain me by your side.
Entreatingly she cried,
“But when you seek the troubled sea,
Retain me by your side.
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“My youthful spirits mount in joy
Upon my bosom's throne,
And I can brave the storms with you,
But I shall weep alone.”
Upon my bosom's throne,
And I can brave the storms with you,
But I shall weep alone.”
They launch their shallop on the bay,
And give her to the breeze,
While Mary cheers her father's heart
Upon the sparkling seas.
And give her to the breeze,
While Mary cheers her father's heart
Upon the sparkling seas.
How sweetly on that savage coast
Her maiden laughter rung!
How doatingly on that fair face
The busy oars-men hung!
Her maiden laughter rung!
How doatingly on that fair face
The busy oars-men hung!
But tempests rose, and mid the rocks
Their leaky boat was thrown;
A bed of ice form'd under them—
Their ocean path unknown.
Their leaky boat was thrown;
A bed of ice form'd under them—
Their ocean path unknown.
Those five stout hearts with chasten'd looks
Await their mournful doom,
And Mary, Shawmut's gentle flower,
Expects a frozen tomb.
Await their mournful doom,
And Mary, Shawmut's gentle flower,
Expects a frozen tomb.
77
And now that group of pilgrim souls
“Dispose themselves to die;”
How bless'd were they in that dread hour
To put their trust on high.
“Dispose themselves to die;”
How bless'd were they in that dread hour
To put their trust on high.
But near a lone and surgy cape,
Land! land! an oarsman spied—
With effort strong they clear the skiff,
And catch the favoring tide;
Land! land! an oarsman spied—
With effort strong they clear the skiff,
And catch the favoring tide;
And hoisting up their stiffen'd sail,
The dangerous way explore,
Till chill, and faint, with sinking hearts,
They reach the houseless shore.
The dangerous way explore,
Till chill, and faint, with sinking hearts,
They reach the houseless shore.
Along the glaz'd and crackling ice
They move in agony,
When starting forward on their track,
The group two red men see,
They move in agony,
When starting forward on their track,
The group two red men see,
Who, with the warmth of untaught hearts,
Their generous help prepare,
Cover, and feed, and nourish them,
With hospitable care.
Their generous help prepare,
Cover, and feed, and nourish them,
With hospitable care.
78
But cold had struck the chill of death
On Guerard's manly frame;
Fainter and fainter grew the breath
Which sigh'd his Mary's name.
On Guerard's manly frame;
Fainter and fainter grew the breath
Which sigh'd his Mary's name.
And she, that lone and lovely one,
Sank like a shooting star,
That springing out from all its kin,
Falls scatter'd from afar:
Sank like a shooting star,
That springing out from all its kin,
Falls scatter'd from afar:
Yet gather'd strength o'er that rough bed
On which her father lay,
And on her fair breast laid his head,
And bent her own to pray;
On which her father lay,
And on her fair breast laid his head,
And bent her own to pray;
And not until his failing sigh
Had bless'd her to the last,
Down by his side in anguish lay,
And clasp'd his body fast,
Had bless'd her to the last,
Down by his side in anguish lay,
And clasp'd his body fast,
And shriek'd, in tones of piercing woe,
“Return, return to me,
Leave, leave me not in sorrow here,
Or let me die with thee!”
“Return, return to me,
Leave, leave me not in sorrow here,
Or let me die with thee!”
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Solemn and stern the Indians stood,
While death was passing by,
But when his parting wing was flown,
Loud rose their funeral cry.
While death was passing by,
But when his parting wing was flown,
Loud rose their funeral cry.
They laid the body carefully,
Like a brother whom they lov'd;
The sandy soil, a frozen mass,
A scanty covering prov'd.
Like a brother whom they lov'd;
The sandy soil, a frozen mass,
A scanty covering prov'd.
The wolves came howling for their dead,
And then those Indians wild,
As if by tender instinct led
For his deserted child,
And then those Indians wild,
As if by tender instinct led
For his deserted child,
Rais'd o'er the grave a noble pile
Of trees securely bound,
Which kept the hungry fiends away
Mid solitude profound.
Of trees securely bound,
Which kept the hungry fiends away
Mid solitude profound.
All died but one of that strong band
Who steer'd from Shawmut bay,
And her, the young and gentle maid,
The blossom on their way.
Who steer'd from Shawmut bay,
And her, the young and gentle maid,
The blossom on their way.
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The Indians bore her to her home,
Where, like a stricken flower
When winter winds have passed away,
She grac'd her native bower.
Where, like a stricken flower
When winter winds have passed away,
She grac'd her native bower.
But often in her after years,
She thought of that lone grave,
Where ocean's breezes moan'd and sigh'd,
And dash'd the gather'd wave;
She thought of that lone grave,
Where ocean's breezes moan'd and sigh'd,
And dash'd the gather'd wave;
And bless'd the red men of the soil,
Who gave her succor there,
And sought for them with deeds of love,
And ask'd for them in prayer.
Who gave her succor there,
And sought for them with deeds of love,
And ask'd for them in prayer.
1830.
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